Directions
write an essay that answers the question, "what was haunting america in the nineteenth century? " develop your thesis
with details and quotes from the stories "rip van winkle," "young goodman brown," and "the black cat". these details
can include information about the theme, plot, and characters, and also information about life in nineteenth-century
america where appropriate. before you write, organize your information in an outline and then use that outline as you
follow each step in the writing process.
if possible, share a draft of your essay with a group of students and ask them to give you feedback. then, use that
feedback to revise your work. when evaluating your essay, the students should ask these questions: does the essay have
a clearly stated thesis? does each paragraph have a main idea and supporting details? does the essay include a strong
conclusion?